PREMIERE: Hit Like A Girl - Cold To Be Alone

Will Shenton

The raw sincerity of Hit Like A Girl's "Cold To Be Alone" is refreshing. Lyrically blunt and heartbreakingly familiar, it's a song that captures the seemingly incurable pain of loneliness and lost love without trying to smother it in ironic detachment. Nicolle Maroulis' vocals soar with bitter anguish against the glimmering instrumentals, recalling the delivery of the best emo and pop-punk of decades past.

But "Cold To Be Alone" isn't just a lamentation—it's also an expression of furious resentment. Maroulis pulls no punches, singing "You don't get to discuss whatever happened to us / 'Cause you did this to me / You're the one who chose to leave." The band's forthcoming LP, What Makes Love Last, is itself an exploration of romance and the myriad ways it can leave us feeling broken, but it's in these moments of catharsis that it feels empowering when it could have simply wallowed.

Of the many things that set Hit Like A Girl apart, perhaps most impressive is their charity, No More Dysphoria, which raises money to help transgender individuals pay for major aspects of their transition. The band forgoes their own merch sales to instead support the organization at shows, and they dedicate a portion of the profits from their music to the cause as well.

So if you're looking for a reason to hit that pre-order button, look no further. What Makes Love Last will be released August 28, 2018.

VIDEO PREMIERE: Stolen Jars - Gone Away

Will Shenton

With their phenomenal sophomore LP, Kept, Stolen Jars established themselves with one of the more distinctive sounds we'd come across in 2015. Their follow-up, glint, is a similarly unique EP, comprised of five tracks that explore "themes of loss and renewal ... finding hints of memory in the present and trying to keep sight of them just long enough to let them go." On top of all that, it's a video album, each song accompanied by evocative visuals.

The fifth and final video, "Gone Away" (directed by Marissa Goldman), is a vignette from the end of a marriage, depicting the moments when familiar places become abruptly foreign in the wake of emotional upheaval. Against the backdrop of a somewhat fantastical apartment (made even more so by liberal use of green screen), we watch as a woman suddenly grows too big to fit in her living room. Stolen Jars' signature percussion and gorgeous male-female duet scores the scene, which concludes with our protagonist calling to tell her boss she's going to be late for work—presumably admitting for the first time that she needs to grapple with her loss.

"Gone Away" is brief, but nonetheless powerful. Like the rest of glint, it's a story of pain and the hope that springs from its depths. In that vein, 25% of all sales of the EP will benefit the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a legal aid organization that "works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence." So if it resonates with you as much as it did with us, we highly recommend picking up a copy.

REVIEW: WOOF. - Bad Connection

Kelly Kirwan

The '90s kids are all grown up, and nostalgia for the last pre-millennial decade has been at an all-time high. It makes sense that now, as we try and figure our shit out in our twenty-somethings, that we find comfort looking back to the simpler times of dial-up internet and online chatting via AIM, not Tinder. So, aside from the listicles jogging my memory of beanie babies and “Be Kind, Rewind tapes,” I also felt waves of decadal deja-vu listening to the latest LP from WOOF., Bad Connection. 

First, there’s “Buzz, your girlfriend” (from the cinematic classic Home Alone, which hopefully was a dead giveaway). Second, there’s the subtle similarities to bands like Of Montreal, The Strokes, and a little Beck, with those blasé vocals, a healthy dose of reverb, and a funky interplay of guitars and drums. Not to mention WOOF.’s accompanying gifs and posters, which are an array of pixelated throwbacks, and a nod to Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind cover, naturally. Also, Kelan Bonislawski, the New Jersey-based multi-instrumentalist behind the project, cites a Radiohead concert as one of his more influential musical memories. But enough nostalgia! Onto the present.

The instrumental complexity of Bad Connection makes this one-man band all the more impressive. Of the album’s thirteen tracks, it was the (initially) down-tempo "Runaway Jane" that I found myself continually replaying. The song opens with Bonislawski’s lethargic vocals and elongated guitar strokes, “She’s never been afraid / Of a coming of age / Then in a winter haze / Her mind remains a child.” It’s a melancholy introduction, for sure, but one that draws you in, intent on discovering the lyrics and narrative they construct.

Then, in true WOOF. fashion, the track builds to a high-energy finish, with faster drums and more staccato strumming, giving its last minute a tense contrast to its beginning. I suppose the trajectory of "Runaway Jane" speaks to the characteristics of Bad Connection as a whole. It’s a genre-bending album that oscillates between lo-fi, alternative, garage rock, and even some psychedelia reminiscent of Tame Impala (check out the track "40hz" if that sparks your interest)—musical styles as versatile as Bonislawski’s instrumental repertoire.

Another album jam worth noting, in particular, is "Soybean / Barn Swallow." Yes, I know, an interesting title if there ever was one, but don’t let it fool you. It’s got that chugging bass and propulsive percussion line that are bound to get your blood pumping and body moving. It’s a track that falls more on the electronic, danceable side of the spectrum, or in the words of DrunkenWerewolf, one that grabs “electronica inspired indie-pop by the metaphorical balls and swing[s] it towards the ceiling of otherworldly goodness.” 

Released on Tree Machine Records, I have the distinct feeling that WOOF. is going to outlast the current fad of wistful, '90s-era homage. Kelan Bonislawski may be inspired by the past, but he’s still churning out music with his own signature twist. And as the sole writer and performer on every track, we see WOOF. is not one to rely on anyone but himself.